Keynote Proficient – Student’s Book word list

Monolingual

Word class abbreviations:

The following abbreviations are used in the word list: n = noun, v = verb, adj = adjective, adv =
adverb, phr = phrase, phr v = phrasal verb, conj = conjunction

Unit 1
Pages 8-9
(be) knighted (for something) (v)
advisory (adj)
aromatic (adj)
benign (adj)
contention (n)
disgraceful (adj)
educationalist (n)
foster (v)
frankincense (n)
humanities (n)
innate (adj)
lead an enquiry (phr)
resin (n)
stifle (v)
stigmatize (v)
structure (v)
Pages 10-11
(be) predicated on (something) (v)
(be) profoundly mistaken (phr)
(be) prompted by (something) (v)
(do something) out of affection for (someone)
(phr)
radically rethink (something) (phr)
a protracted process (phr)
a seamless transition (phr)
anecdote (n)
choreographer (n)
compartment (n)
distinct (adj)
diverse (adj)

1
dynamic (adj)
fidget (v)
get all the brownie points (phr)
have a go (phr)
hierarchy (n)
industrialism (n)
shift (v)
strike (v)
use (something) wisely (phr)
Pages 12-13
element (of something) (n)
fraction (n)
negligible (adj)
pursuit (n)
weave (v)
Pages 14-15
(something) is not really your thing (phr)
a must (n)
be a born (something) (phr)
brainwave (n)
break with convention (phr)
can't (do something) to save my life (phr)
come at something from a different angle (phr)
disengaged (adj)
endurance (n)
engaged (adj)
erratic (adj)
focus (n)
have a flash of inspiration (phr)
imperceptible (adj)
indispensable (adj)
offcut (n)
Pages 16-17
pre-requisite (n)
take it or leave it (phr)
tannery (n)
the desired result/effect (of something) (phr)
well up (phr v)
win (something) hands down (phr)

2
Unit 2
Pages 18-19
abide by the rules (phr)
dread (v)
explicitly (adv)
go platinum (record/album) (phr)
medium (n)
miraculous (adj)
proper noun (n)
singsong (adj)
speech impediment (n)
stutter (n)
Pages 20-21
application (n)
be based solely on (something) (phr)
be inextricably linked (phr)
clunky (adj)
come clean about (something) (phr)
comprehensively (adv)
conceptual (adj)
contagious (adj)
fearful (adj)
gather (v)
mortal dread (phr)
paramount (adj)
paraphrase (n)
pepper (something with something) (v)
relatable (adj)
serene (adj)
synonym (n)
Pages 22-23
a foregone conclusion (phr)
in all likelihood (phr)
respondent (n)
Pages 24-25
a leap in the dark (phr)
adrenaline junkie (phr)
an overwhelming consensus (phr)
be a bundle of nerves (phr)

3
be insulated against (something) (v)
comfort zone (n)
get (someone's) drift (phr)
get acquainted with (something) (phr)
get your hopes up (phr)
give up hope (phr)
have butterflies in your stomach (phr)
have your hopes dashed (phr)
inmate (n)
pin your hopes on (something) (phr)
pluck up courage (phr)
the sky's the limit (phr)
Pages 26-27
advisable (adj)
ironically (adv)
peace of mind (n)
preventative (adj)
repellant (n)
worst-case scenario (n)
Pages 28-29
(be) laid back (adj)
founder (n)
get your own back (phr)
go back on your word (phr)
go back to the drawing board (phr)
go behind someone’s back (phr)
go downhill (phr)
highest grossing (phr)
know something like the back of your hand
(phr)
motion (n)
put it on the back burner (phr)
sequel (n)
take a back seat (phr)
turn back the clock (phr)
turn your back on (phr)
Unit 3
Pages 30-31
aural (adj)
bandwidth (n)

4
bombard (v)
chair (of a company) (n)
congruent (adj)
driver (n)
fight-flight response (n)
profound (adj)
retailer (n)
subtle (adj)
suppress (v)
Pages 32-33
behaviourally (adv)
cognitively (adv)
deploy (v)
framework (n)
in droves (phr)
physiologically (adv)
psychologically (adv)
recognition (n)
resonance (n)
sound (adj)
structure (n)
unconscious (adj)
veneer (v)
Pages 34-35
abrupt (adj)
approachable (adj)
consistent (adj)
disrespectful (adj)
dominant (adj)
eye contact (n)
form an impression (phr)
indication (n)
peckish (adj)
Pages 36-37
(research) paper (n)
comforting (adj)
compelling (adj)
crucially (adv)
dim (adj)

5
disconcerting (adj)
energizing (adj)
enticing (adj)
fragrance (n)
heightened (adj)
hit the mark (phr)
holy grail (n)
infuriating (adj)
irresistible (adj)
maddening (adj)
miss an important trick (phr)
off-putting (adj)
overhear (v)
rousing (adj)
sensory (adj)
soothing (adj)
sought after (phr)
stationery (n)
stimulating (adj)
stirring (adj)
target (v)
tempting (adj)
unsettling (adj)
utensil (n)
Pages 38-39
(be) in close proximity (phr)
adversely (adv)
allegedly (adv)
give the outward appearance of (something)
(phr)
if truth be told (phr)
in point of fact (phr)
nausea (n)
on the face of it (phr)
open-plan office (n)
ostensibly (adv)
Unit 4
Pages 40-41
assume a position (phr)
boardroom (n)

6
dominance (n)
hormone (n)
hunched (adj)
imposter (n)
nonverbal (adj)
perception (n)
Pages 42-43
caricature (n)
complement (v)
congenitally (adv)
contemptuous (adj)
core identity (n)
fraud (n)
make a sweeping judgement (phr)
oversimplify (v)
power dynamic (n)
powerlessness (n)
quicksand (n)
tweak (n)
wink (n)
Pages 44-45
(printing) press (n)
medium (n)
telephone exchange (n)
Pages 46-47
at the end of the day (phr)
boredom (n)
bullishly (adv)
clench your fists (phr)
contempt (n)
displeasure (n)
draw someone out (phr)
drum your fingers (phr)
expressionless (adj)
facial expression (n)
flounder (v)
gape (v)
grin (v)
indispensable (adj)

7
moral (n)
not budge an inch (phr)
principle (n)
provoke (v)
push someone’s buttons (phr)
raise your/an eyebrow (phr)
resentful (adj)
roll your eyes (phr)
scowl (v)
shrug your shoulders (phr)
sneer (v)
tell-tale (adj)
unprincipled (adj)
unscrupulous (adj)
wince (v)
Pages 48-49
concisely (adv)
give (someone) a hand (phr)
Pages 50-51
bite your tongue (phr)
doze off (phr v)
eye-opener (n)
get (someone's) back up (phr)
get (something) off your chest (phr)
go straight over your head (phr)
have a sweet tooth (phr)
have the nerve to (do something) (phr)
have your mind set on (something) (phr)
intensify (v)
no skin off your nose (phr)
put your finger on (something) (phr)
rule of thumb (phr)
visually-impaired (adj)
Unit 5
Pages 52-53
fossil fuel (n)
mesmerize (v)
mortality (n)
paralytic (adj)

8
physician (n)
poverty line (n)
pursuit (n)
scrutiny (n)
Pages 54-55
arresting (adj)
comprehensible (adj)
deviation (n)
emerging economy (n)
explicitly (adv)
hardcore (adj)
imply (v)
mill (n)
overload (v)
penetrate (v)
president-elect (n)
Pages 56-57
disparity (n)
insulation (n)
legislate (v)
power plant (n)
refrigeration (n)
scenario (n)
thermal (adj)
Pages 58-59
amenity (n)
creditor (n)
cut interest rates (phr)
diligence (n)
enjoy a(n) (economic) boom (phr)
expand an operation (phr)
inherent (adj)
landowner (n)
speculate (v)
speculator (n)
stifle (economic) recovery (phr)
Pages 60-61
common misconception (n)
disbelief (n)

9
have (something) spot on (phr)
have reservations about (something) (phr)
in the least (phr)
old wives' tale (n)
originate (v)
replicate (v)
take (something) with a pinch of salt (phr)
Unit 6
Pages 62-63
(plant) shoot (n)
artisan (n)
bamboo (n)
bespoke (adj)
blueprint (n)
custom-made (adj)
hollow (adj)
made-to-measure (adj)
pod (n)
signal (v)
sustainably (adv)
Pages 64-65
boulder (n)
clump (n)
constraint (n)
contrast (n)
elaborate (adj)
emotive (adj)
foster (v)
imagery (n)
make perfect sense (phr)
metaphor (n)
portability (n)
reap the benefits (phr)
reinforce (v)
repetition (n)
replicate (v)
resistance (n)
rhetorical question (n)
tapering (adj)

10
tried-and-true (adj)
Pages 66-67
electric shock (n)
get (something) caught in (something) (phr)
get nowhere with (something) (phr)
railing (n)
stitch (a cut) (v)
structural (adj)
tree surgery (n)
Pages 68-69
beautifully crafted (phr)
ethical (adj)
masterpiece (n)
never been bettered (phr)
novel (adj)
practicality (n)
prohibitively expensive (phr)
shoddily put together (phr)
spew out (phr v)
timeless (adj)
up-market (adj)
walk of life (phr)
Pages 70-71
individuality (n)
instinct (n)
think on one's feet (phr)
Pages 72-73
childproof (adj)
crime-free (adj)
foolproof (adj)
insulation (n)
shockproof (adj)
showerproof (adj)
stress-free (adj)
water resistant (adj)
Unit 7
Pages 74-75
abject (adj)
authoritative (adj)

11
backdrop (n)
colonialism (n)
definitive (adj)
dignity (n)
humiliating (adj)
impressionable (adj)
malign (v)
resilience (n)
spiteful (adj)
synonymous (adj)
toughness (n)
Pages 76-77
catastrophe (n)
dispossess (v)
fleece (v)
irritable (adj)
loosely (adv)
refurbish (v)
rob (someone) of (something) (phr)
sneak (v)
startled (adj)
unintended (adj)
Pages 78-79
address (someone) (v)
foetal position (n)
insincere (adj)
like father, like son (phr)
more haste, less speed (phr)
oncoming (adj)
so far, so good (phr)
stalk (n)
the more, the merrier (phr)
the sooner, the better (phr)
there's no such thing as a free lunch (phr)
too little too late (phr)
Pages 80-81
(be) the lesser of two evils (phr)
acupuncture (n)
against (someone's) better judgement (phr)

12
be spoilt for choice (phr)
better the devil you know (phr)
cherrypick (v)
debilitating (adj)
efficacy (n)
filter (v)
hedge your bets (phr)
homeopathy (n)
less is more (phr)
no-brainer (n)
permutation (n)
plague (v)
regroup (v)
sit on the fence (phr)
subsistence (n)
take the line of least resistance (phr)
take the plunge (phr)
unsolicited (adj)
Pages 82-83
by and large (phr)
concession (n)
voice (v)
Unit 8
Pages 84-85
brood (v)
conscience (n)
contaminant (n)
eel (n)
halibut (n)
impure (adj)
marshland (n)
mullet (n)
prey (v)
salmon (n)
sea bass (n)
self-sufficiency (n)
shrimp (n)
swordfish (n)
tuna (n)

13
unseen (adj)
wasteful (adj)
Pages 86-87
a drop in the ocean (phr)
conversion (n)
don't get me wrong (phr)
drive (v)
erode (v)
get the facts straight (phr)
go into liquidation (phr)
goody-two-shoes (phr)
measure (v)
overstate (v)
purification (n)
set change (n)
set up (on a date) (phr v)
thriving population (phr)
Pages 88-89
as luck would have it (phr)
calorific value (n)
cause for concern (phr)
economy (adj)
grain (n)
I told you so (phr)
I wouldn't bet on it (phr)
mindlessly (adv)
nicotine (n)
speculate (v)
staple food (n)
Pages 90-91
(be) at odds with (something) (phr)
albeit (conj)
amenable (adj)
attainable (adj)
commendable (adj)
defensible (adj)
doable (adj)
foreseeable (adj)
gain traction (phr)

14
give rise to (something)
go beyond (something) (phr v)
irreparable (adj)
irretrievable (adj)
irreversible (adj)
laudable (adj)
make concessions to (something) (phr)
manageable (adj)
measurable (adj)
parade (something) (v)
persuadable (adj)
plausible (adj)
quantifiable (adj)
tenable (adj)
thinkable (adj)
unalterable (adj)
viable (adj)
workable (adj)
Pages 92-93
apprehensive (adj)
experimental (adj)
filling (adj)
indifferent (adj)
intestine (n)
out of the ordinary (phr)
play it safe (phr)
sample (v)
table manners (n)
Pages 94-95
a hard nut to crack (phr)
application (n)
be packed in like sardines (phr)
big cheese (phr)
bread and butter (n)
conceive (v)
dispersal (n)
go pear shaped (phr)
have a lot on your plate (phr)
have your cake and eat it (phr)

15
hot potato (n)
put all your eggs in one basket (phr)
save (someone's) bacon (phr)
sour grapes (n)
word of mouth (phr)
Unit 9
Pages 96-97
imitation (n)
loop (v)
parody (n)
pop culture (n)
remix (n)
spike (n)
sprout up (phr v)
tastemaker (n)
tribute (n)
viral video (n)
Pages 98-99
applicability (n)
aspire (v)
explicitly (adv)
geeky (adj)
implicitly (adv)
inside joke (n)
post a Tweet (on Twitter) (phr)
set out (to do something) (phr v)
succinctly (adv)
Pages 100-101
abundantly (adv)
acutely (adv)
conspicuously (adv)
distinctly (adv)
painfully slow (phr)
patently (adv)
sorely (adv)
the globe (n)
wildly (adv)
Pages 102-103
(be) a vehicle for (something) (phr)

16
(be) hard-pressed (adj)
amplify (v)
authoritative (adj)
break down (person) (phr v)
buzzword (n)
collaborative (adj)
crowdfunding (n)
cyberbully (n)
hotspot (n)
landline (n)
meme (n)
on-demand (adj)
phishing (n)
podcast (n)
pronounce (v)
selfie (n)
snail mail (n)
stylized (adj)
transformative (adj)
troll (n)
vent your spleen (phr)
Pages 104-105
allowing for the fact that (phr)
clichéd (adj)
concise (adj)
ethical (adj)
ethics (n)
go-getter (n)
inasmuch as (conj)
insofar as (conj)
onus (n)
track record (n)
Unit 10
Pages 106-107
cherished (adj)
contempt (n)
correlation (n)
crushing (adj)
demoralizing (adj)

17
fundamental (adj)
hierarchy (n)
ideal (n)
meritocratic (adj)
poetic (adj)
ridicule (n)
weep (v)
Pages 108-109
(be) in the driving seat (phr)
come into contact with (something) (phr)
drum home (something) (phr)
empathy (n)
exhilarating (adj)
fixate on (something) (v)
hold (someone/something) back (phr v)
hold your horses (phr)
kickback (n)
make your excuses (phr)
material goods (n)
memorize (v)
mess up (phr v)
snob (n)
suck in (phr v)
thought-provoking (adj)
Pages 110-111
(be) committed to (something) (v)
adamant (adj)
confrontation (n)
earn respect (phr)
let go of (something) (phr)
novice (n)
proactive (adj)
rejection (n)
resort to (something) (v)
strive (v)
take (something) in your stride (phr)
win-win (adj)
Pages 112-113
aspiration (n)

18
be going places (phr)
be going up in the world (phr)
blow your chance (phr)
categorization (n)
come to the fore (phr)
drop out of (somewhere) (phr v)
fall by the wayside (phr)
happy-go-lucky (adj)
have your sights on (something) (phr)
human resources (n)
justification (n)
lifelong (adj)
like-minded (adj)
peer pressure (n)
pragmatic (adj)
put a premium on (something) (phr)
rounded (adj)
set your heart on (something) (phr)
throw in the towel (phr)
Pages 114-115
be in line with (something) (phr)
be relative to (something) (phr)
be subject to (something) (phr v)
make headway (phr)
overlook (v)
turnover (of staff) (n)
Pages 116-117
(be) flying by the seat of your pants (phr)
(be) up in the air (phr)
backer (n)
bring (someone) back down to earth (phr)
creator (n)
donor (n)
engrave (v)
fly in the face of (something) (phr)
fly-by-night (adj)
get off the ground (phr)
get off to a flying start (phr)
keep your feet on the ground (phr)

19
pass (something) with flying colours (phr)
personalized (adj)
preview (v)
proofread (v)
safeguard (v)
Unit 11
Pages 118-119
beam (v)
clerk (n)
handling (n)
in awe (phr)
mistreatment (n)
obsolete (adj)
prompt (v)
robust (adj)
routine (adj)
slum (n)
tap into (something) (phr v)
withstand (v)
Pages 120-121
(be) made up of (something) (phr)
discerning (adj)
discerningly (adv)
hurdle (n)
level the playing field (phr)
not have the foggiest idea (phr)
pore over (something) (phr v)
project (v)
set (something) in motion (phr)
set the stage (for something) (phr)
spare part (n)
topical (adj)
Pages 122-123
apprenticeship (n)
humanities (n)
sociology (n)
stick it out (phr)
vocational (adj)
Pages 124-125

20
(be) out of fashion (phr)
(be) thin on the ground (phr)
amenity (n)
apposite (adj)
assimilate (v)
call (something) to mind (phr)
commit (v)
consign (v)
distance learning (n)
educator (n)
enshrine (v)
evoke (v)
facial feature (n)
get the hang of (something) (phr)
harness (v)
hone (v)
mentor (n)
quotation (n)
recite (something) by heart (phr)
reel off (phr v)
reinforce (v)
reminisce (v)
retain (v)
revive (v)
rote learning (n)
self-directed learning (n)
spatial awareness (n)
take in (phr v)
Pages 126-127
(be) out of your depth (phr)
(something) goes in one ear out the other (phr)
clueless (adj)
come back to (phr v)
daunting (adj)
have (something) off pat (phr)
throw (someone) in at the deep end (phr)
Unit 12
Pages 128-129
abundant (adj)

21
agile (adj)
cost-effective (adj)
entrepreneurship (n)
fellow (n)
flexible (adj)
frugal (adj)
improvise (v)
ingenuity (n)
insulate (v)
resourceful (adj)
Pages 130-131
alchemist (n)
be diametrically opposed to (something) (phr)
concrete (adj)
entrepreneur (n)
essence (n)
go about (doing something) (phr v)
humidity (n)
magically (adv)
make do with (something) (phr)
master the art of (something) (phr)
out of thin air (phr)
roll (something) out (phr v)
run out of gas (phr)
scale up (phr v)
sell like hotcakes (phr)
testimony (n)
Pages 132-133
approximation (n)
conversely (adv)
expenditure (n)
in hindsight (phr)
off the top of your head (phr)
on reflection (phr)
patent (n)
pending (adj)
pull a muscle (phr)
theoretically (adv)
thereafter (adv)

22
to (someone's) credit (phr)
to (someone's) disappointment (phr)
to put (something) bluntly (phr)
with respect (phr)
Pages 134-135
beyond (someone's) wildest dreams (phr)
bring about (something) (phr v)
bring yourself to (do something) (phr)
claimant (n)
commuter (n)
compensation (n)
emit (v)
exhibit (v)
find an outlet (for something) (phr)
give off (phr v)
hit on (phr v)
imitator (n)
last, but not least (phr)
limitless (adj)
pay out (phr v)
protectiveness (n)
pull (something) off (phr v)
pull out (of something) (phr v)
reverse-engineer (v)
set out (to do something) (phr v)
sympathize (v)
try it on (with someone) (phr v)
wonder (adj)
Pages 136-137
blurriness (n)
for fear that (something) (phr)
given that (phr)
I don't blame them (phr)
life hack (n)
seeing as (phr)
target market (n)
tripod (n)
Pages 138-139
(be) like a moth to a flame (phr)

23
(someone's) ears are burning (phr)
be playing with fire (phr)
bright spark (n)
call to mind (something) (phr)
conversational (adj)
creative spark (n)
dispute (n)
energize (v)
fuel the fire (phr)
have money to burn (phr)
have too many irons in the fire (phr)
kindle your interest (phr)
polish (v)
set the world alight (phr)

24